Center for a New American Security

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is a think tank in Washington, D.C., specializing in United States national security issues, including terrorism, irregular warfare, the future of the U.S. military, the emergence of Asia as a global power, war games pitting the U.S. against the People's Republic of China, and the national security implications of natural resource consumption, among others.

CNAS has strong ties to the Democratic Party. It was founded in 2007 by Michèle Flournoy, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy under President Bill Clinton and under secretary of defense for policy under President Barack Obama, and Kurt M. Campbell, who previously served as deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration. The Obama administration hired several CNAS employees for key positions. In June 2009, The Washington Post wrote that in the Obama era, CNAS "may emerge as Washington's go-to think tank on military affairs." CNAS was formerly led by CEO Victoria Nuland, who served as undersecretary of state for political affairs from 2021 to 2024 in the Biden administration's State Department.

CNAS has received funding from large corporations, including some defense contractors. Donors have included Northrop Grumman, Chevron, Amazon, and Google. This has prompted criticism of CNAS from left-wing media outlets, with In These Times saying in October 2019 that the organization has "long pushed Democrats to embrace war and militarism."

CNAS has approximately fifty employees and a budget under $6 million. It has many fellows and advisors. CNAS members include, among others, John Nagl, Thomas E. Ricks and Robert D. Kaplan. The organization's top donors include Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Open Society Foundations, Airbus Group, The Boeing Company, Chevron Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Company, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, the United States government, BAE Systems, BP America and Exxon Mobil Corporation.

CNAS commentators have been quoted in national media outlets such as Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, C-SPAN, NBC, Fox News, NPR.

The CNAS U.S.-India Initiative is co-chaired by CNAS Board of Directors members Richard Armitage, former deputy secretary of state, and Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns, former under secretary of state for political affairs. The stated goal of the Initiative is to help advance growing bilateral ties in areas of mutual interest, including security, economics, energy, climate change, democracy, and human rights. On October 27, 2010, at the White House Press Gaggle on the President's Upcoming Trip to India, the CNAS report Natural Allies: A Blueprint for the Future of U.S.-India Relations was referenced in a reporter's question to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

In 2010, the center developed its cyber security project was co-chaired by Bob Kahn, John Michael McConnell, Joseph Nye and Peter Schwartz. In February 2011, CNAS argued in The Hill that "increased federal attention to cybersecurity makes good sense," but "lawmakers must ensure that the U.S. government does not spend aimlessly on cybersecurity."

CNAS has suggested that one way to contain future military costs would be to move heavy army units into the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. Still, military officials have responded that the governors would rather have light units that are better suited to their emergency needs.